Tom Christian

Tom Christian MBE (1 November 1935 – 7 July 2013) was a citizen of Pitcairn Island and the long-serving radio operator. He served as the Governor's appointee on the Pitcairn council for forty years and was appointed a member of the Order of the British Empire in 1983. Christian left the island at the age of 17 for New Zealand, where he received training to operate the radio station ZBP. He was profiled in publications such as National Geographic and People magazines. Christian was known for his high salary of $10,000 a year in 1989, making him the highest-paid native islander. He had a lifelong attraction to life off-island but remained dedicated to Pitcairn Island.